D'oh!

One of my oldest and dearest friends in the world asked me for some book recommendations.  His response to my suggestions was to start the thread by saying that he made a start on one of them and spiked it, immediately bored.  I thought the book was fantastic so this annoyed me - I considered typing some acerbic response.  "Well, some of us have more refined literary sensibilities," was my favorite, combining, I thought, acerbic wit with some educational arrogance.  Conversely, I spoke to Willie on the phone last night about a family matter that was upsetting him.   Normally we'll leave voice mail messages indicating we're just checking in so when the message from one of us asks for a return call to discuss something upsetting or confusing each of us makes an effort for a quick return call.

I've been talking a lot the last few years - some of my less enthusiastic fans might call it "preaching" - about the different kinds of love I've come to embrace.  I love both these guys.  With Willie, I think, nary a contentious word has e'er been spoke.  The conversations are smooth.  We're on the same page about everything.  With my book-loving friend the history is exactly the opposite.  Hyper-Competitive to a fault, we bicker and argue at the drop of a hat about important matters and the most inconsequential things.

I've known Willie a long time but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the length of my relationship with Mr. Contention.  These are two very different relationships and I value them both.  I need both of these men in my life.  They both help me and teach me, but in different ways.  This is what I'm trying to sort out when talk about love.  I love my mama and I love my wife and I love The Cincinnati Reds and I love a hamburger from Quatman's Grill.  No one would dispute these feelings and no one would equate them.  Different in all aspects.

Maybe I could take a sack of Quatmans to a Reds game with SuperK and the ghost of my mom?

Here's how my universe works when I'm active and engaged in my recovery and my spirituality.  As I was noodling over the level of snark to employ in my book response I paused to read my current Daily Reflection book: "Be calm, be true, be quiet.  Be calm always.  Do not talk back or defend yourself too much against accusation, whether false or true.  Accept abuse as well as you accept praise.  Only God can judge the real you."

D'oh!